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GP Extended Access Service in Stevenage

Stevenage Locality are looking at the best way to provide a GP Extended Access Service for patients in Stevenage. Patients are therefore kindly asked to complete a short survey - you will find the relevant link to the survey and further information on how to do this in our 'Latest News' section. Your comments and feedback from completing this survey, will help to structure how the service will be provided.

Appointments

Bedwell Medical Centre - Telephone 01438 311130

Roebuck Surgery - Telephone 01438 314519

Routine Appointments

Routine appointments can be a one to three week wait depending on patient specifications. Please book a routine appointment either via the 24 hour patient partner system, the online booking system or by phoning during opening times to speak with a receptionist.

Urgent / Duty Doctor Appointments

We have a duty doctor each day who will manage the flow of patients who feel they need to be seen by a doctor that day. To book an on the day urgent appointment please phone at 08:00 when the lines first open.

Please bear in mind the surgery cannot predict the demand for the urgent / duty doctor appointments so there may be a wait of up to 45 minutes for these appointments. The appointments are a 5 minute appointment for ONE problem only.

Practice Nurses

In a number of cases it might be worth considering an appointment with a practice nurse rather than a doctor. Practice nurses are qualified to deal with many conditions and you may be seen more quickly.

General Information

Appointments are for ONE person / ONE problem only. If you need a longer appointment please discuss your request with the receptionist to book a double appointment; there could be a longer wait for a double appointment.

Patients under 16yrs of age should be accompanied by an adult wherever possible.

Non-attendance for appointments is a constant problem and increases the wait for other patients to see the doctor. If you are unable to keep an appointment, please inform reception in plenty of time so that the appointment may be given to another patient. If you turn up late for an appointment it will be up to the discretionary of the doctor whether it is still possible for you to be seen as this may have some impact on other patients.

We always try to see patients at their appointed time but sometimes need to spend longer with patients than the allocated time; we appreciate your patience if there is some delay.

Appointment confirmations and reminders will be sent to your mobile phone by SMS text messaging service. Please ensure we have your up to date contact details on record.

We can arrange interpretation and translation services by telephone for patients who speak little or no English but please ensure that when you are booking your appointment you must advise the receptionist of this need and also request a double appointment.

If you require a face to face interpreter to be present during your consultation, this can be arranged but you will need to book your appointment at least two weeks in advance. Alternatively, if you can bring someone along with you who can interpret for you, please do so.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else. Non attendance for appointments (DNAs) is a persistent problem and can severely affect the quality of care and speed of access and choice for our patients. Missed appointments will be regularly monitored by the practice manager.

Missed Appointments at the Practice

Our Practice has an ever increasing amount of patients who fail to attend their appointments and who fail to contact the surgery in advance to cancel.

Due to the number of patients failing to attend appointments, it may be that you are not able to see the doctor on the day that you wish to.

Effects On the Practice

An increase in waiting time for appointments

Frustration on both staff and patients

A waste of resources

A potential risk to health of the patient

The Practice and our Patient Participation Group have both agreed a Practice Policy needs to be implemented for patients who fail to attend their appointments without sufficient notice - this policy will take effect from the 1st April 2017.

Practice Policy for Missed Appointments at the Practice

Fail to attend 3 appointments in the duration of 12 months:-

Any patient who fails to attend a pre-booked appointment on more than 3 occasions in the space of 12 months will receive an informal letter. The letter will give you the opportunity to advise us if there are any specific problems preventing you from providing sufficient cancellation notice.

Fail to attend 4 appointments in the duration of 12 months:-

If a patient fails to attend another appointment in a rolling 12 month period a second informal warning letter will be sent to the patient, advising that a further occurrence could risk removal from the Practice.

Fail to attend 5 appointments in the duration of 12 months:-

If a patient fails to attend a further appointment in a rolling 12 month period the matter will be discussed at a Practice meeting and a majority agreement will be reached as to whether the patient will be removed from the Practice and 30 days' notice will be given before being removed. Once removed, the patient will be unable to re-register at our Practice for 1 year from the date of removal.

Home Visits

Bedwell Medical Centre - Telephone 01438 311130

Roebuck Surgery - Telephone 01438 314519

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:00.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Training & Research

We are an accredited training practice and firmly believe that having medical students, ST1, ST2 or ST3 doctors, be it for one day, four months, or one year is proving to be a great success.

It is a very rewarding experience to have them with us, especially knowing that some of these trainees may very well go on to specialise in General practice.

People who wish to become doctors study medicine at university. This is a 5 (or sometimes 6) year course. Courses vary in how they are organised but most start with theoretical learning about anatomy, physiology, biochemistry etc. and then in the final years focus more on patient based learning.

ST1, ST2 and ST3 doctors are already qualified doctors. They are receiving further training to become a General Practictioner.

Medical Students

Medical students at the Bedwell & Roebuck Surgeries will be in their final year of study, meaning that if they are successful in their final exams they will become doctors that August. If you are seen by a medical student there will ALWAYS be one of our fully qualified GPs or nurse’s with them.

Patients often like to see students as they have much more time to talk (they have 30 minute appointments compared to 10 for a GP).

GP Speciality Training / The Foundation Programme

The Foundation Programme is a two-year training programme for doctors after leaving medical school. It is designed to provide the trainees with a range of experience prior to choosing their area of speciality.

The ST2 (Year 2) doctors spend a 4 month period with us where they will see patients by themselves, however our fully qualified GP’s will always review them periodically during their clinic sessions. It is designed to give trainees a range of experience before choosing an area of medicine in which to specialise.

The ST3 (Year 3) doctors (previously known as Registrars) spend a whole year with us and have their own clinics to see patients. They will have weekly tutorials with our trainee GP and receive daily supervision.

Research

We are part of the NHS Research Network through the CCG. From time to time we will ask patients if they wish to participate in research activity. Participation is voluntary, and refusal will not affect the level of care you receive in any way.